Moving-picture apparatus.



G. H. JEFPRIES.

MOVING PICTURE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28, 1912.

Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

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MOVING PICTURE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED mmzs, 1912.

1,117,956. Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

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CHARLES H. JEFFR-IES, 015 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, -ASSIGNOR OE ONE-HALF TO LOUIS A. KABCHER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS IIIOVING-PICTURE APPARATUS.

Application "filed March 28, 192 2.

1/ b aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. Jnrrnms, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Moving-Picture Apparatus, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to moving picture machines, and more particularly to the reel mechanism carrying the films and the actuating means for unwinding said reels.

It is an object of this invention to provide a reel which may be interchangeable either as a feed reel or as a take-up reel, and which will permit a film when wound thereon to be unwound from the inner convolution of the film and from the center of the reel.

it is also an important object of the invention to permit the film to be unwound from the feed reel directly from the bottom of such reel through the usual fire rollers and across the obiective field of the mechanism, instead of leading the film from the top of the feed reel and around the periphery thereof as has been necessary heretofore in reels having provision for unwinding the film from its inner convolution.

A further and important object of my invention is to provide actuating mechanism for the film-holding part of the feed reel which will automatically obviate the danger of damaging or tearing the film during the unwinding operation bv allowing slippage between said film-holding portion of the reel and its actuating means. This is a feature of great practical importance because heretofore it has been customary to rotate positively the take-up reel and the feed reel of a moving picture machine at the same speed without allowing for increased or decreased-tension due to the building up of the successive convolutions of the film on the take-up reel or the decreased number on the feed reel. nor to allow for any obstacle or stoppage in the unwinding of the film. As the film of such a machine is necessarily of light and flimsy material, and as it is usually fed by engagement of the teeth of sprocket wheels with a continuous series of perforations in the edge portion of such film, such prior constructions were unsatisfactory in often causing damage to and of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov, 1?, 1914.

Serial 2T0. 888,911.

the film. By my invention, wherein due provision is made for slippage between the film-holding portion of the feed reel and its rotating means, all danger of damage to or tearing of the film is obviated.

Further objects are to provide a reel of novel construction permitting the film-holding portion to be rotated independently of the rest of the reel, and also to provide a carrier for the reel, so that when it is mounted as a take-up reel, it will be rota ted by the usual take-up spindle which is ordinarily provided in all moving picture machines.

Referring to the drawings, wherein a preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated, Figure 1 is a conventional view in side elevation of a moving picture apparatus, the portions showing my improved rcel mechanism being broken away for clearness of illustration; Fig. 2 is a detail view of the carrier on which the reel is mounted when used as a take-up reel; Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the reel when in position as a feed reel; and Fi g. a is a cross sectional view taken on the line -l4 of Fig. 3.

The usual moving picture machine is indicated at 1, 2, and 3, the cover 2 inclosing the film-feeding gears and mechanism which would be of any usual type and which are arranged to be actuated by the handle 4, which is suitably mounted upon a shaft 5, so that rotation of the handle 4 by the operator serves to draw the film from a feed reel to a take-up reel. Suitably supported upon the top of the portion 2 by means of brackets 6 and 7 is arranged a holder 8 which contains the feed reel, and depending from the portion 2 of the machine is a suitable bracket 9 in which is journaled the spindle 10 having a pulley 1-1 on one end, which pulley is actuated by a belt 12 and a. corresponding pulley 13 keyed on the main shaft 5. In the upperpart of the portion 2 is arranged a shaft 14 having a pulley belted to a corresponding pulley on the main shaft 5, and at either end of the shaft 1-1 are arranged pulleys, one being indicated at 15 whichjs connected by a belt 18 to a pulley 17 on a short shaft- 18 journaled in the side of the holder '3. A corresponding short shaft 19 is journaled in the holder 8 diametrically opposi e the shaft 18, which shafts on their inner ends carry wheels 20 and 21 respectively. The short shafts l8 and 19 are arranged to be rotated in opposite directions by having one belt, as 16, crossed and the other belt 22 leading straight as indicated in Fig. 1.

My reel mechanism preferably comprises three horizontally arranged annular plates,

theupper plate 23 and the lower plate 24 being rigidly connected by means of a plurality of studs 25, 26 which are arranged around the inner diameter of the plates 23 and 24. All of the connecting studs 25 are of greater diameter for a portion of their length than the studs numbered as 26, and on each'of said studs 25 is loosely arranged a sleeve 27, and on each of the studs 26 is arranged a'sleeve 28 of smaller diameter than the sleeves 27 on the studs 25. The third horizontal annular plate 29 which comprises the film-holding portion of-my reel is formed with its inner diameter of appropriate size to have its edge in engagement with the small sleeves 28, whereas the sleeves 27 of larger diameter will slightly overlap the edge portion of the plate 29 as shown at 30 on Fig. 3.

The film-holding plate 29 is arranged to be rotatably movable relatively with the fixed plates 23 and 24 of the reel, and to this end a plurality of rollers 31 are journaled on the upper part of the plate 24, and as the inner edge portion of the plate 29 bears upon the'loosely held sleeves 28, it will be readily understood that. this plate is arranged to be easily rotated and yet is held firmly in its relative position. The sleeves 27 of sufiiciently large diameter to overlap the inner edge portion of the rotatable plate 29 may be of suitable length-to fit between the under portion of the fixed'plate 23 and the upper portion of the rotatable film-holding plate 29, thus holding the plate 29 in its position in engagement with the rollers 31 when the reel is mounted on the horizontal take-up spindle 10. Suitable apertures 32 and 33 are provided in the lower fixed plate 24 through which the wheels 20 and 21 respectively may project, these wheels being of proper diameter to reach from their respective short shafts up to and in engagement with the lower surface of the rotatable plate 29, as indicated by the wheel 20 in Fig. 1. It will thus be seenthat, upon rotation by the operator of the shaft '5 through the handle 4, the plate 29 is rotatively moved through the engagement of these wheels 20 and 21 with its under surface, which wheels are rotated in opposite directions by the arrangement of the crossed belt 16 and the straight belt 22 as already described.

In'order to support and hold the reel in horizontal position in the holder 8 and to provide means to lead the film from the feed reel, I have provided a circular box 34 which is secured tothe bottom of the holder 8 and which is of suitable diameter to fit the lower 1 plate 24 as indicated in Fig. 4. Preferably journaled in a movable arm 38 which is ad justably secured to a second standard 39 by means of a bolt 40 working through a slot in the arm 38, as clearly indicated in Fig. 4. A vertical roller 41 is fitted within the cir cular box 34, and a brace 42 fixed to the bottom of the box 34 and having its top grooved to loosely fit the roller 41 =isprovided in order to assist in leading the film from the reel to the conical roller- 36. In the base of the box 34 are ournaled fire rollers 43, 44 between which the film must be led, and an open tube 45' leads through a suitable aperture underneath the fire rollers to the por tion 2- of the machine, so that the film. is entirely inclosed in its assa ge from the feed reel to the objective fie d of the moving picture machine.

"When a filled reel is positioned upon the box 34, the inner convolution is detached and led over one of the sleeves 27 adjacent to the roller 41, as indicated at 30, Fig. 3, and from the roller 41'is led over the conical roll 36 to the fire rollers 43, 44 and thence downward to the usual sprocket gears, which draw and pull the film by engagement of the teeth of such sprocket gears with the perforations in either edge portion of the. film, such perforations being indicated at 46 in Fig. 4. As the film is pulled downwardly, and as the wheels 20, 21 are actuated to 1'0- tate the movable plate 29 carrying the film,

it will'be clearlyseen that the film is unis carried by the rolls 31 as well as by the wheels 20 and 21, there is ample provision V for slippage between the wheels 20 and 21 and the rotatable plate 29. Therefore, as the film is unwound, any change in tension upon the film or any obstacle preventing the uniform unwinding of the film-holding plate has due allowance therefor made through the construction just described, so that all danger of damaging or tearing the film is eliminated.

In order to fit the reel to the usual take-up spindle which is arranged beneath the moving picture apparatus, as is illustrated in Fig. 1,1 have provided a carrier 47 having a flange 48, which carrier is bored tofit the take-up spindle 10 and may be keyed or otherwise suitably secured to said spindle. The carrier 47 is provided with'a series of. peripheral grooves 49to fit corresponding lugs 50 on the reel so that the reel may he fitted or slid upon the carrier 47 until in contact with the fiange 48 and will be held by said carrier and rotated with it by the rota- 1-,iraeee tion of the take-up spindle- 10. This feature is of considerable importance as it enables me to mount a reel of any size or interior diameter upon the usual take-up spindle without changing said spindle, but merely by providing a suitable carrier to fit the reel. Preferably thiscarrier is formed with recessed portions, as indicated at 51, to facilitatc the operation of anchoring or securing the end of the film in a suitable catch, as indicated at 52, which is arranged on the reel.

The operation of my invention will be readily understood on reference to the drawings. The reel when positioned on the takeup spindle is ready for the film to be caught or anchored in the catch 52, and then rotation of the spindle 5 through the handle 4 by the operator acts to rotate the take-up spindle and consequently the entire reel so that the film is wound in successive convolutions about the sleeves 27 and between the fixed plate 23 and the revolving plate 29. When the film is completely wound upon the reel, a covering strip 53 may be positioned around the film and attached to the revolving plate 29 by short projections fitting in suitable recesses therefor as indicated at 54 in Fig. 4:- The full reel may now be slipped off the carrier 47 and mounted in a horizontal position upon the box 34 (see Fig. 4), and the inner end of the film will then be detached from the catch 52 and drawn around one of the larger sleeves 27 as indicated at 30 in Fig. 3, around the roller 41 and over the conical roller 36 down between the fire rollers 43, 4.4 and so through the part 2 of the moving picture machine and to another reel afiixed to the carrier on the take-up spindle 10, where its end is anchored in a similar catch. Actuation of the mechanism by the operator will now draw the film through the objective field of the moving picture machine, winding it up upon the take-up reel and unwinding it from the feed reel by rotating the plate 29 through the action of drawing off the film and through the actuation ofsaid plate by the wheels 20 and 21, as has already been explained.

One of the important advantages of this invention is that the film is kept entirely in closed in its passage from the feed reel to and through the portion 2 of the machine, whereas in former constructions, where the film w'as unwound from its inner convolution, it has been led up over the top of the feed reel and holder therefor, thus not only rendering it exposed and increasing the danger from fire, but also necessitating drawing the film over numerous additional rollers.

Another especial advantage of my construc-.

tion consists in the rotating plate 29 which delivers the film without damaging the edges of the film, whereas in most moving picture reels the film itself is dragged over the filmholding portion during the feeding opera tion unless the feed reel is mounted on a horizontal axis in a similar manner tothat of the take-up.reel. The wheels 20 and 21 which bear a portion of the weight of the film-holding plate 29 allow the said plate to slip easily over their surfaces should the film be drawn at a faster rate than the periplieral movement of said wheels, or, shouldthe plate 29 be caught or checked in its rotation, the wheels 20 and 21 may continue to rotate without forcing the plate 29' to move, 7

as it is supported mainly upon the rolls 31, thus allowing a relative slippage between the film-holding plate 29 and its actuating wheels 20 and 21. The arrangement of the supporting means for the conical roll 36 permits a considerable adjustment of the angle at which said roll is mounted so as to get the best results in leading the film from the verticallyy arranged roller 41 to the fire rollers 43.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Afilm-holding reel for a moving picture machine. comprising an upper and lower plate rig dly connected. said plates being in the fo m of an annulus. an intermediate film-hold ng plate'capable of being rotated relatively to said fixed plates. and means to rotate said intermediate plate independe tlv of the fixed plates.

2. A film-holding reel for a moving picture machine. comprising an upper and lower plate r gidlv connected, said plates being in the fo m of an annulus. an intermed ate film-holding plate ca ahleof being rotated relatively to said fixed plates. and means to rotate said intermediate plate independentlv of the fixed plates. said means comprising feed wheels in contact with the lower surface of said intermediate p ate and mechanism for actuating said wheels.

3. A film-holding reel for a moving picture machine. comprising an up er and lower plate rigidlv connected. said plates being in the form of an annulus. an intermed ate plate hav n provision for rotation relatively to said fixed plates. anti-friction bearings between one fixed plate and said intermed ate plate. and means to retain the inte mediate plate in contact with the antifriction bearings.

4. A film-holding reel for a moving picture machine. comprising an up er and lower plate rigidly connected, said plates being in the fo m of an annulus, an intermediate film holding plate capable of being rotated relativelv to said fixed plates. a support for the fixed plate having a film guiding slot therein. means to rotate said intermediate plate independently of the fixed plates, and means to guide the film from the inner turn of the film coil downwardly to termediate rotatable plate to saidslot during the rotation of the intermediate plate and the unwinding of the film.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of 15 two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES H. J EFFRIES. Witnesses:

JAMES R. HODDER, EDWARD MAXWELL. 

